The Quanta Podcast
Quanta Magazine
Exploring the distant universe, the insides of cells, the abstractions of math, the complexity of information itself, and much more, The Quanta Podcast is a tour of the frontier between the known and the unknown. In each episode, Quanta Magazine Editor-in-Chief Samir Patel speaks with the minds behind the award-winning publication to navigate through some of the most important and mind-expanding questions in science and math. Quanta specifically covers fundamental research — driven by curiosity, discovery and the overwhelming desire to know why and how. Join us every Tuesday for a stimulating conversation about the biggest ideas and the tiniest details.(If you've been a fan of the Quanta Science Podcast, it will continue here. You'll see those episodes marked as audio edition episodes every two weeks.)
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 28, 2016 • 26min
Physicists Hunt for the Big Bang’s Triangles
Physicists hunt for triangular and polygonal patterns in the sky that could record the universe’s birth. They compare inflation clocks from simple fields to exotic string-theory mechanisms and extra dimensions. The conversation covers searches in CMB and 3D galaxy surveys, novel 21-cm plans, and how distinct triangle shapes could betray primordial particles and interactions.
8 snips
Apr 21, 2016 • 14min
Debate Intensifies Over Dark Disk Theory
Researchers revive the controversial idea that dark matter might form a thin disk in our galaxy. Debate centers on whether such a disk could bias star-count mass estimates and escape current constraints. New data from Gaia and refined analyses promise to confirm or rule out narrow windows where a thin dark disk could exist. The theory hints at complex dark-sector physics like dark atoms and dissipative forces.
Apr 14, 2016 • 25min
Mapping the Brain to Build Better Machines
A project to decipher the brain’s learning rules could revolutionize machine learning. The post Mapping the Brain to Build Better Machines first appeared on Quanta Magazine
7 snips
Apr 7, 2016 • 22min
Sphere Packing Solved in Higher Dimensions
Erika Klarish, a reporter who covers mathematics, explains Maryna Viazovska's breakthrough solving sphere packing in dimensions 8 and 24. Short segments cover why E8 and the Leech lattice are special, how modular forms provided the missing auxiliary function, the rapid collaboration extending the proof to 24 dimensions, and the broader mathematical mysteries these discoveries uncover.
Mar 31, 2016 • 22min
The Beasts That Keep the Beat
New insights from neuroscience — aided by a small zoo’s worth of dancing animals — are revealing the biological origins of rhythm. The post The Beasts That Keep the Beat first appeared on Quanta Magazine
9 snips
Mar 24, 2016 • 26min
Mathematicians Discover Prime Conspiracy
A surprising pattern in prime numbers: consecutive primes prefer certain final digits and avoid repeats. Reporters outline large-scale computations across different bases that reveal the effect. Experts explain why classic random models missed it and how the k-tuples conjecture predicts the bias. Reactions from number theorists and implications for teaching and future research are discussed.
Mar 24, 2016 • 34min
A Life in Games
The mathematician John Horton Conway’s myriad accomplishments — including the Game of Life, sprouts and the surreal numbers — are the product of a mind at play. The post A Life in Games first appeared on Quanta Magazine
6 snips
Mar 10, 2016 • 22min
After Black Holes Collide, a Puzzling Flash
A satellite caught a brief flash just as gravitational waves arrived from two black holes colliding. Scientists puzzle over how light could accompany a merger and debate rare scenarios like charged black holes, leftover accretion disks, or mergers inside a dying star. Researchers weigh conflicting detections and plan simulations while awaiting more gravitational-wave events.
7 snips
Mar 3, 2016 • 24min
The Quantum Secret to Superconductivity
A 90-tesla magnet experiment peeled back superconductivity to expose hidden cuprate behavior. Reporters describe a sharp carrier-density jump pointing to a quantum critical point. The show explores antiferromagnetism versus exotic FL* states as competing explanations. Future magnet-driven tests and implications for higher-temperature superconductors are discussed.
Feb 25, 2016 • 29min
How to Build Life in a Pre-Darwinian World
Perhaps chemistry played a more instrumental role in the origin of life than scientists thought. The post How to Build Life in a Pre-Darwinian World first appeared on Quanta Magazine
